Want to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse? Don't Wait for Life to Go Back to Normal🧟‍♂️

Published: Sun, 01/03/21

Don't Wait for the Perfect Moment. Take the Moment and Make it Perfect.

- Aryn Kyle

I’m a big fan of Zombie literature and apocalyptic fiction. I think it’s my fascination with how human beings handle extreme adversity that attracts me to that kind of work. A good novel not just entertains but can give you a new perspective on life.

Everyday Above Ground is A Good Day.

Author Mark Tufo has written a brilliant series called Zombie Fallout. In it, the Talbot family led by father Micheal, the self-deprecating and sarcastic lead character, find themselves in a world where a Flu Vaccine gone wrong has transformed normal folk into ravenous Zombies. With friends and family, they must suddenly navigate the dangerous world they find themselves in. One of the things I’ve learned from reading this kind of fiction and watching films of a similar ilk is that characters who survive accept the transformed world they live in and stop waiting for things to return to normal.

How many times in this global pandemic have you heard people say they’re waiting for things to go back to normal. Even I’ve caught myself saying it, but the truth is things will never go back to normal, and that can be a good thing depending on your point of view.

That doesn’t mean we can’t find peace or happiness within this chaos? Just because we cannot return to “normal,” we should be anxious and depressed? I’m just saying that, like generations in the past, we have to flip the way we view our situation and plow forward with a different mindset. These are challenging times for many, and I know it’s easy to be optimistic when you have an income, you’re healthy, and you haven’t had family affected by this pandemic. That’s why I think shifting your perspective, especially in these times, is very important.

I’m a reader, so I can’t help delving into history to encourage and inform my thinking. Why do I do that? History leaves clues. The situation we find ourselves in today isn’t unique. Global disasters have come and gone. We have learned to adapt and thrive through our compassion and God-given gift for creativity. Read those stories of how the human spirit overcame insurmountable obstacles and be encouraged. One of the most powerful things you can do for yourself is to reframe any negativity bouncing around in your head. You have to create a new inner dialogue to counteract them. Use what you’ve learned about how resilient human beings are and ready yourself for when fear tries to take over. And it will try, but you’re smart, and whether you turn to history, stories, or both, they will teach you useful lessons.

As crazy as it may sound, that’s what good horror fiction does for me. It reinforces my belief that even in the darkest times, we can persevere. My work reflects that too, and you will see that theme running throughout my novels.

While running today, it dawned on me how weird this time is. If I had a choice, this would not be the situation I would want to find myself in. With that said, what’s the point of wishing for a different outcome? What matters is the now. What matters is I’m healthy; what matters is I’m sucking in fresh air, and I’m hopeful that the New Year will be filled with promise. I know we can’t go back to normal and who would want to, but I’m alive, and if there’s life, there’s hope.

What are you be grateful for?

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